Abstract
The Negro and Solimoes rivers join in front of the Brazilian city of Manaus to form the Amazon River. This “meeting of the waters” is a natural phenomenon of great aesthetic beauty that has been the focus of attention of researchers all over the world in various scientific fields. The waters of the Negro are darker and warmer, while the waters of the Solimoes are lighter and cooler. These waters have very different characteristics and remain without mixing, flowing side by side for several miles. Some reports indicate a temperature gradient between the waters of the order of 6°C, which can be used in conjunction with very high flow rates delivered by the two rivers, with a heat engine operating on a thermodynamic cycle to provide electricity. This review paper identifies this energy resource and presents a preliminary assessment of the potential for power generation. A realistic assessment of the potential points to an available power of about 1 GW. It is clear that further studies are needed to accurately assess the available thermal gradient and its variation over time, to move forward in the design of the power converter, and to establish an appropriate location for a power plant.
Highlights
The Amazon basin has a drainage area of more than six million square kilometers, producing an average flow of around two hundred thousand cubic meters per second, ranging from about one hundred thousand cubic meters per second in the dry season and about three hundred thousand cubic meters per second in times of flood
The average flow rate corresponds to about one-fifth of all the fresh water that reaches the oceans coming from the continents
The Negro and Solimoes rivers meet in front of the city of Manaus (approximately 3∘S, 60∘W), which is the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, to form the Amazon River
Summary
The Amazon basin has a drainage area of more than six million square kilometers, producing an average flow of around two hundred thousand cubic meters per second, ranging from about one hundred thousand cubic meters per second in the dry season and about three hundred thousand cubic meters per second in times of flood. Several national websites (http://www.descobrindooamazonas.webs.com/encontrodasguas.htm) (http://www.portalamazonia.com.br/secao/amazoniadeaz/interna.php?id=2 42) related to tourism and natural heritage, approaching the “meeting of the waters,” mention temperatures of 22∘C to 24∘C for Negro and 28∘C to 30∘C for Solimoes, a temperature difference of 4∘C to 8∘C. This project presented an initial estimate of maximum available power of about 15 GW and a specific cost estimate of US$ 0.28/MW installed. It is clear that the temperature gradient between the rivers Negro and Solimoes is significantly lower than the gradients available in geothermal and ocean thermal plants, but it is possible to provide reasonable power since the flows available for use are fairly high. The newness of the subject justified the inclusion of the term “river thermal energy” in the keywords of this paper
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